Volume Three: The Turmoil at Xuanwu Gate Chapter 116: Breaking the Deadlock

As everyone entered the room, although they had already heard Wang De recount the events, seeing Li Shimin lying there, barely clinging to life, caused their hearts to sink instantly.

As close confidants of the Prince of Qin, they bore the unmistakable mark of the Prince’s faction; their very lives were entwined with his. If anything were to happen to the prince, their fate would surely be bleak.

“Your Highness! Your Highness!” they called out repeatedly, but Li Shimin’s eyes remained tightly shut, his breath feeble and faint. Were it not for the slight pulse of life in his nostrils, he might as well have been dead.

“How could this be? Weren’t we told he was only unconscious? Summon the imperial physicians…”

“Are you planning to just stand there and watch the commotion?” Luo Yi tied a knot in the bundle, slipping it into the spatial pouch on her person. Looking at the pouch, packed to the brim, she truly wondered how Yun Xixi managed to carry so many things back to the inn.

Even if there were such a prince, he was not of an age suitable for Su Ruhui to marry. Those nurtured by the Empress Dowager were all prepared for the royal family, not for outsiders to covet. By comparison, naturally, the Prince of Chu was the most fitting match for Su Ruhui.

She loathed the shopkeeper’s bullying deeply. Seeing his condescending, disdainful gaze, she refused to yield even an inch. Her principle in life had always been: favors might be left unrepaid, but grudges must be avenged.

At midday, the princess consort and Lady Lin came over with Rui’er. The child had just learned to walk, toddling unsteadily into the room but unable to call out. His chubby cheeks were flushed pink, utterly adorable. He was close to Mao Leyan and showed no shyness, walking straight to her and playing with the beads on her embroidered shoes.

The emperor seemed at a loss for words to express his fury. Without hesitation, he grabbed a wine cup and hurled it forcefully at Long Jinyu’s face.

“It’s simple. You are filial, and so am I. My mother was bullied in the Mao household. If you come back with me, her status in the mansion will rise, and no one will dare to mistreat her!” Her words were straightforward and unreserved.

“I heard it from Yun Jiyou,” An Lan repeated what Yun Jiyou had said earlier in the courtyard. Hou Yixuan nodded, well aware of Gu Xifeng’s strength.

The weather was growing colder. Helan Yao’s cultivation of the Phoenix Ancient Tome, a fire-element technique, naturally kept her body warm. Baihu coming to Kongsang Mountain felt like returning home; even Long Shaoyan instinctively resisted the cold in his sleep.

No one expected anyone to dare disrupt the order at such a critical moment. If things went awry, all the refugees in Baitu City would be doomed alongside them.

Qi Yun quietly watched him. Outside the railing, the wind and rain seemed to stretch endlessly. After a long silence, tears suddenly welled in her eyes. The four people behind her shivered and lowered their heads, unwilling to look further.

I averted my gaze and remained silent, surveying the room. Zhang He sighed softly, said something to Aunt Jiang, then bid me farewell and left.

Soga Emishi wielded great power in the Wa Islands. His father, Soga Masako, ushered in the grandest era for the Soga clan. The mother of Empress Suiko was Masako’s own sister—a rare exception in the Wa royal family’s strict endogamy system—highlighting Masako’s formidable influence.

He realized that the Tang Dynasty in his memories was utterly different from the present; now it was a completely unfamiliar land.

Liu Mu and the dockmaster of Donghai County were chatting when Ma Zhou’s ship finally docked. Ma Zhou was as puzzled as anyone about why Liu Mu had suddenly arrived there.

Cold Qianning slowly stepped out of their encirclement. To everyone’s surprise, she rushed toward that figure, wrapped her arms around his neck, and burst into tears.

He still cherished the graceful image of Ruan Mingyue. Though these two resembled each other perfectly in appearance, their temperaments and inner qualities were worlds apart, a thought that stirred his emotions and brought a smile to his lips.

Xue Miao sat by the bedside, silently watching Xiling Jing, who lay pale and motionless with eyes closed.

All eyes were drawn to Cold Qianning’s lips. Unexpectedly, they were a strange shade of purple, giving her an eerie, ghostlike appearance.